Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-03-19
MY LITTLE MATCH-GIRL.


must pass by. her little brother stood
by her side, as usual, with few punches
Of violets.
I bought bunch, for I, Frederick St.
Pierre, artist, am as fond OF flowers as
any woman. I bought the matches, too,
though don't smoke.
She looked thinner than ever that nom
ing, and I couldn't help wondering II
she'd had any breakfast. OF course, it
could only be a crust but sometimes
street arabs haven't even that. Just at
hand was a hOt-rOast potato stand. I
bought a few, and returning, pushed
them into her hands.
If I'd only been rich But 1 wasn't
in those days. For the pictures sold
were few, while the rent paid was high
/ for MY room In an old-fashioned house
"a mansion in the time Of Elizabeth
now used chiefly for the offices Of an old
miRing company. It stood Just over the
| bridge at the foot OF Martins Lane, fifty
yards to the left Of King William street
and twice a stones throw from the Tower.
/ 1 liked the location on that account, for
1 could slip over any time for the study
| OF medieval armOr and other things.
Besides, 1 was at work then ON my Sir
\ Walter Raleigh, so l. was necessary. Do
| you know the picture? 1t represents
him In that long, low room where he
spent so many years busy with his his
tory. But his book is forgotten as he
leans back in his chair lost in dreams OF
| the Past-pOssibly OF that wonderful
/ New World TO which be had been, per
/ haps of that day when he first met his
Q "A uhuNk 81 srgLA =.
/ high, narrow window lights up his finely
carVen, handsome, melancholy face which
so stands out In relief from the shadows
OF the dreary room
OF course, it seemed Bohemian like
freak Of mine to forsake the West End
dteliers, but could live on bread and
water here If chose, while worked and
nobody be the wiser. I've never been
sorry, for it brought to me my little
match girl. All that day 1 thought
about her. How the tears rushed to her
| eyes as she took the hot pOtatOesi The
boy evidently had his breakfast even If
she went without"
eyes, rs father and mother to him.
she had said one day in answer to a
question. "An We get along very well,
sir, Wen the weather's fine, sir. But
wen it rains, sir, and it's cold sir then
gen'lemen'wOn't stop to buy my match
es, sir, an the ladies has to look after
their skirts an the mud an their UNI
Derels instead o. buyin' pOsies, sir"
And this WIS one Of those DAYS dreary
and drilling. No trade for her, poor
child! and nothing but that ragged old
waterproof cape over her shoulders to pro-
tect her and her matches. But for all
these thoughts Of the children, worked
hard until the light grew dim and I
could not trust my cclors. And then I
took to dreaming, until 1 remembered
that I had nothing for tea or supper.
For boarded myself, except for dinners,
which 1 took IN one of the eating houses
near the London Bridge Station when I
could afford them), and that's how I
cane to pass my little match girl SO Of
ten. So I started of for bread and
cheese, and this took me to the South
wark side again.
There they were stiIl. the boy clinging
to his sister, partially shielded by her
cloak, she with the veritable two match
boxes which were left after had taken
one IN the morning. Were they the last
OF the stock In trader If so, I could set
her up again with the pile in my room.
called at the cook-meat shop and
bought a slice Of cold roast beef, I got
my bread and cheese and then a few pip
ing hot potatoes, and then-Why, then
was so near, and they looked such mis-
cradle Water-sOaked rats, that I lust
stopped and offered them a penny each
if they would carry MY parcels home for
me. And there I, a big six. fOoter,
rka1h~aH oFyar T.Du1,v, E,ySErr. z,F,
my umbrella, while those two little rats
trudged after with my bundles.
1t looked mean, but twas all a dodge
to get them to come with NE, for London
Arabs are so afraid of being delivered to
the Bobby" or to some institution
where they viii be deprived Of their
liberty, that they would rather starve
than run a risk.
"WeI, we arrived at the house, and 1
was too weak to carry my parcels up
stairs, so these water witches had to fol-
! low. And then threw open my door
and those two Just said, .'OhP' and
/ dropped my parcels smack. must say
the room did look pretty as a picture
after the dreary oaken staircase and the
gloomy drizzle outside.
| A bright fire throwing out blue and
/ yellow flames Lit all the room, bringing
into relief my pictures and brorzes (inni-
tation the brOnzes) and plaster casts.
Then, too, red draperies viii warm up a
room sol
'OhP' said the children. The girls
! eyes were shining at the pictures, but
/ the boy was looking at the fire, seeing
which L drew him to it, bidding him dry
| himself.
'.But we must go, said the girl timid-
/ ly. Nevertheless, she, too, was presently
beginning to steam
An old box served for a table, and
what a supper those children did eat!
ats like heaven" said the girl at last,
very softly
fWhas?" said startled.
"This-this rOOm-these pictures
and these" And here she laid her
head back against the red curtains. I
jumped to my feet.
'DOn't mOyeW 1 exclaimed, 'snOt
hairs breadthP' Already was begin
ming to dash in the colors.
What a picture the child did makel
That clear olive skin, those dark eyes,
that mass Of black hair dropping over
her shoulders, that long, brown hand so
How worked! This should be my
academy pictured Down on her feet I
threw her tray with the two fOrlOrn little
boxes on it.
Fairly the beads Of perspiration stood
on my forehead and rolled down my
cheeks. dashed them away and work
ed on. How patiently she sat there.
though I knew she must be getting